BLEACH: A Blind Review (Part 4) | Arrancar Arc

Bleach by Tite Kubo is a story unlike any I've ever covered. Over the years I've created a number of Blind Reviews for some of the most popular series to come out of Japan. And since completing both Naruto and One Piece, thousands of you have recommended I take a look at Bleach.

So, join me on this journey as I explore and experience Bleach's manga for the very first time and once and for all complete my review series of the Big 3! Covering the adventures of Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu and Rukia won't be easy! But I'm sure it'll be worth it! Next up on the chopping block is the Arrancar arc! Let's see how many holes can we fill!

MUSIC USED

Main Menu (Bleach Brave Souls)
Rolling Star (Cover by MindaRyn)
Creeping Shadows (Unreleased Version)
The Sentients (Hyperlight Drifter)
Arousal (Bleach Brave Souls)
Hollowed (Cover by Gabriele Motta)
顕現シタ異物 (Nier Automata)
M727 (DBZ)
Que las Campanas Me Doblen (Blasphemous)
GigaSlayer Phonky Hell (Cover by Aaron F. Bianchi Jupiter)
Kakusei Boss (Bleach Brave Souls)
Number One (Cover by Hazel Fernandes)
Sabrewulf Theme (Killer Instinct)
Biotope (VLR)
Fuerza (Bleach Brave Souls)
On the Precipice of Defeat (Unreleased Version)
Baile de Violetas Guitar Ver. (Blasphemous)
M1416 (DBZ)
U Got That (Remix by Ferry)
GigaChad Theme (Darksynth Remix by Kasper Gutgesell)
GigaChad Theme (Piano Cover by Pianthesia)
Shigematsu Shinzaemon (Muramasa Rebirth)
Entre Bordados (Blasphemous)
MANIAC (Cover by HSCC)
Nothing Can Be Explained (Bleach)
A Picture in Motion (Remix by Reese X)
Serious (Bleach Brave Souls)
Crimson Swords (Bleach Brave Souls)
Heroics (Bleach Brave Souls)
DON'T LOSE YOUR WAAAAAAY (Kill La Kill)
Binary Game (999)
Silent Moon (Hotel Dusk)
La Distancia Para un Duelo (Cover by NerdicSymphony)
El Quejio (Blasphemous)
Al Compas De Tus Contornos (Blasphemous)
Batalla Batalla (Cover by LucasGitanoFamily)
Eternitybox (999)
Will Of The Heart (Cover by IconiQ)
M814 - Fearsome Ginyu Forces (DBZ)
Ten Piedad (Blasphemous)
Power to Strive (Cover by Grabriele Motta)
Lagrimas de Grano y Oro (Blasphemous)
Atomic Clock (My Friend Pedro)
The Blood Swamps (DOOM Eternal)
Parasitic (Cover by GR1N)
Suite De Arrancar (Cover by IconiQ)
Piranha Plant Lullaby (Mario 64)

Video edited by Editor-San

[ayame]

This comment probably won’t be seen but Kubo has literally said he got stomach aches due to how badly the anime understood his characters, and after the arrancar saga began he made sure that he saw to making sure there weren’t any changes that were too major, yet even after that there have been many cases of him showing dislike towards the anime’s adaption.

However he has been open about how close he has been working on the thousand years blood war anime praising how well it’s been going on the regard of giving life towards his series

[schubert]

Using the TFS DBZA quote for Kisuke showing up for a fight is unbelievably accurate. Man is an enigma. A chaotic, whacky, hilarious, and entertaining enigma.

[SirCharles.]

Bleach's aesthetic design is so damn cool.. every character, the weapons/attacks, the hollows, the world, everything. love. it. all.

[lokidiablo]

I think Kisuke's reasoning was more pointed towards making Aizen think Orihime had no value, trying to keep her safe by making her look unimportant and a non issue because guarding her would be incredibly suspicious in Aizen's eyes. Unfortunately when she used her powers to heal Chad Ulquiorra noticed she wasn't actually healing but something else, which then led to Aizen seeing that and making her invaluable to expedite his plans.

[TheBaconShaman]

I can't believe Mark didn't make a comment about Kenpachi using kendo or his "did you know a sword's more powerful if you use both hands?" line. That line and page turn of Nnoitra being bisected is pretty much the one specific thing from Bleach that stuck with me over the years. There's something about that bit of brutal comedy that just stuck where other things couldn't.

[anttibra]

About the fights, I think they are mostly more character driven than plot driven events. Like with Rukia's fight, it didn't drove the plot forward, but it was pivotal for Rukia's character. Like you said, in battle shonen fights are moving the story on, but in Bleach many fights are there to explore characters.

With Kenpachi Vs. Nnoitra for me interesting part wasn't choreography or the plot, but how putting 2 on the surface similar characters to fight each others highlights their differences. Both enjoy battles and consider themselves the strongest. But Nnoitra feels despair of other beings being stronger than him, while Kenpachi wish for strong opponent. There's no hate in Kenpachi if you're stronger than him, while Nnoitra can't stand anyone stronger or weaker than himself. Kenpachi is the positive aspect of competitive spirit, while Nnoitra signifies the toxic aspect of it.

[CharlesTaylor-lool]

Interesting choice not to mention that Kenpachi's power up was to USE BOTH HANDS lmao

[EpicSteve]

So they are hard to find nowadays, but back around the time this section of the story had just ended, Aizen's plan was thwarted and Bleach had moved on to its next arc. Kubo began bringing up in interviews and in social media posts that there was a lot of editorial interference in this section as well as everything moving forward. The various captains in particular had become extremely popular characters as a result of the soul society arc, and Kubo was pressured by editors to include them in sections he apparently didn't originally intend. Which I think helps explain a lot of pacing issues we get in the bloat of this story arc, and the following one. Tite Kubo has also stated that Aizen himself wasn't intended to be the main antagonist of the story for as long as he was. There is a lot of interesting stuff to be said about Kubo and his immense frustration with Shonen Jump moving forward from this point that might be interesting to look into

[PublicNemesis]

Dang, I wish mark talked about the "perfection" speech. That ending with all the captains showing up to help Ichigo was my favorite part of the arc tbh.

[Tvmasterj]

Something I absolutely about the match with Grimmjow and Ichigo in Hueco Mundo is that Grimmjow has a point! Ichigo was fully healed, he could’ve grabbed Orihime and left. But he didnt, he stayed to fight. Ichigo may not fully know it but he does like fighting, he wants to be a king like White said.

[xanderfulton]

Mark at the start of the Substitute Arc: “Oh boy, here we go.”

Mark at the start of the Arrancar Arc: “Oh boy, here we go!

[TANMAC]

Obviously haven’t watched the whole thing yet, but just wanna say real quick: Thanks Mark, for both getting me into this series and going the extra mile for these reviews!

[mercurial]

I dont know if you've realised this, Mark; but there is one inconsistency in what you said. All captains and vice captains are nerfed. Coincidentally, Ikkaku is neither, he's the 3rd seat of the Kenpachi squad. So he and Rukia were the only ones NOT nerfed.

[Thekid]

Shippers get so caught up in the shipping wars they forget how great friends and foils Rukia and Orihime are to each other. They compliment each other so well as heroines to Ichigo. Their relationship sort of mirrors Tifa and Aerith in a sense as well as the shipping triangle but atleast but those ladies are both established as love interests to their bright haired big sword boi.

[pedrpabl]

I love the chapter where orihime says good bye to ichigo so much. my wedding vows are loosely based on them. (Don't tell my wife, she thinks all the sappy things I say are all original)

[methos]

The music in the anime during the Arrancar arc was just so good.

[WeyardWiz]

What I dig about uryu here is that he doesn't turn into another sasuke, instead hes just his self. He helps ichigo and even soul reapers, forming his own perspective rather than carrying a generational burden.
Even ryuken is not vengeful lol
In other words, it doesn't pave the way for a repetitive shonen cliche, instead kubo made it his own unique way

[azeem]

21:27 Ikkaku WAS fighting at his limit. The Gentei Kaijou is a seal that is only placed on Captains and Lieutenant level soul reapers when they're sent to the World of the Living. Ikkaku is a 3rd seat at this point of the story.

[MademoiselleRed]

Oh Mark, not only Grimmy is your favourite boy too but you had a change of heart about Orihime as well. I'm so proud I could cry T_T

[gandolf]

seeing Chads new power, I always imagined his powers turning into his legs and eventually his whole body turning into different abilities.